Comments

According to Key to Spores of the Genera of Hypogeous Fungi in North Temperate Forests, the columella should be “…with a prominent, soft, capitate, white coluella, which which straight hyphae radiate to connect with the peridium.” The important thing in the description is what IS NOT said: but given in the accompanying photos. The columella is a barely rounded sphere which does not extend over 1/3 the diameter of the sporocarp. I suppose that’s the advantage of having photos to accompany the description. In other words, the columella of Radiigera should not extend further than half-way into the gleba from the base. That’s also an important reason when Radiigera is suspected it is essential to carefully section the sporocarp through the sterile base through the top of the sporocarp. Otherwise there is clear confusion with Sclerodermas. It doesn’t help that Radiigera is part of the Sclerodermatales, either.

should have an axis like a column. If it doesn’t connect to the peridium at some point, it should be termed pseudo-comumella. Here there is not a hint of columella attachment that I can make out, and it does appear to be cut from base to top.

If it’s unripened spore mass then it’s not a columella which are sterile.

The sharp demarcation of central layers looks wrong for any Scleroderma I’ve seen, but I suppose it’s possible.